The Studio Blog Hop

Welcome to The Studio Challenges Olympic Blog Hop!

If you are playing along, you should have arrived here by way of Daphne's blog. (There's a complete list below in case you want to start at the top.) We've got some great projects to inspire you and prizes along the way so I hope you will hop with us!

For our blog hop we were challenged to make a project inspired somehow by the Olympics. I chose to use the colors of my country's flag - red, white and blue. (factoid: one of my all time favorite color combos - every house or apartment I've ever lived in has been a variation of this combo!)  I made this patriotic layout with the Pebbles, Inc. Let Freedom Ring line - featuring a small photo of my son holding an American flag:

Here are some close ups of my simple layering. What I like about layering is that it doesn't have to be fussy if you use clean lines and graphic patterns:

 Here you can see some of my stitched border:

all materials: Pebbles, Inc. cardstock: American Crafts

Next stop on the hop is Anna's blog. But before you go, leave a comment here and I'll draw a winner to receive this selection of goodies - including 2 Studio Calico kit stamps:

Do you watch the Olympics? If you do, what's your favorite sport? I love the gymnastics and the diving. Tell me what you think by Friday, August 3 and I will post my random winner on Saturday. And don't forget to link up your Olympic-inspired projects at The Studio for a chance to win our monthly prize generously donated by Elle's Studio! 

Here's the blog hop order:

The Studio 
Daphne  
Valerie (you are here!)
Anna 
Jules  
Katherine 
Back to The Studio  

Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

A Simple Scrapper Challenge

I haven't made a page I've loved in a really long time, so I'm happy to share this one with you today. Made for the upcoming August monthly challenge at Simple Scrapper - the grid sketch totally inspired this project. (I love Simple Scrapper sketches and being part of that team!) I'm also excited about this page because I used my first Scrapbook Circle kit (been eyeing a sub to that club for a long time, finally took the plunge.) I added a few extras for this page but most of the product is from the kit. This one is all about my daughter at age 8:

The sketch was for a 12 x 12 layout with 4" square photos that filled the page. I shrunk the page size to 8 1/2 x 11 and the photos to 1 1/2" squares. Here's a close up. You can see the title a little bit better here: 

materials: cardstock: Wausau; patterned papers: October Afternoon, Echo Park; stickers: Simple Stories, SRM (8); tape: American Crafts; letter stickers: Studio Calico; transparency: Hambly
sketch: **Simple Scrapper Premium Membership

This weekend I will be participating in the 3rd challenge of the month over at The Studio. Got that extra Sunday this month so we decided to honor the London Games with a little Olympic-inspired blog hop. I'll be offering up a prize so I hope you will stop by and hop along with us!

So glad it's Friday - hope you have a great day ahead!

**The Premium Membership at Simple Scrapper provides skills and shortcuts to help you simplify and find more meaning in your memory keeping.

It's almost time...

The seasonal aisles in the stores are brimming with supplies, the commercials are on tv - back to school is upon us! The bittersweet fact of August - I spend it obsessing about the end of summer and back-to-school shopping. In honor of my stress I've got a little back-to-school project I made last Spring. (I made a variation of this idea back then - it was posted on my blog and at SRM Stickers, too.).

I transformed an SRM tube into a big pencil. I filled it will yellow pencils to 'color' the tube and added a few strategic embellishments to drive the theme. I added a clean, graphic tag so it could be given as a little gift for returning students.

 Here's a close up of my tag. 

Love that embossed metallic paper - looks like the top of a pencil:

 Here's the tube opened up - 8 regular pencils fit perfectly inside!

materials used: plastic tube, stickers: SRM Stickers; cardstock: American Crafts; 

metal rimmed tag: Staples; twine: The Twinery

Hope you've got a great day planned. I get to see some of my favorite people today and I'm really looking forward to that!

Pebbles, Inc. Sunnyside

Happy Wednesday! 

Today I've got a few cards I made for the Pebbles, Inc. blog this week. Featuring lots of Sunnyside - love all those bright summery colors. I used the blue green patterns from the 6 x 6 paper pad for continuity and cut apart the From Me To You papers (12 x 12 & 6 x 6) for the sentiments. The little round embellishments are from a cut apart border sticker. 

Isn't the summer just whizzing by? I'm starting to see Facebook alerts by super-conscientious friends who have already completed their kid's back to school shopping. The tv commercials have started. Pressure is on. I vow not to leave it to the last minute this year!

Christmas in July

Tuesday, and I'm happy to report the day has nothing scheduled. Hopefully, it will be peaceful and full of crafty mojo - which I am in desperate need of!

Today I've got a little holiday card to share from a recent project call. I spied this twine wrapping technique in an old holiday issue of Martha Stewart Living. I punched that scallop shape from some wood veener so I'd have a rigid base, then got to wrapping to make my little wreath. It sits on top of an embossed kraft panel with an SRM Sticker. (love those white stickers). Underneath it all a diagonal patterned SEI holiday paper. Diagonals are the best as card bases because you get a nice selection of color one each side:

Love this technique. Here's a better angle to see the embossing:

materials: cardstock: Bazzill; patterned paper: SEI; sticker sentiment: SRM; wood veneer: Stampin' Up; twine: The Twinery; embossing folder: Quickcutz

This card would be so easy to mass produce. I'm wondering if I could teach my kids how to make the little wreaths? hmmm....

Have you started making any holiday crafts/projects yet? This is around the time I always start to think about it. I definitley plan to get my family photo taken in a more timely manner this year, but other than that, I'm not making any promises!

Still here...

trying to find my mojo!
Actually, trying to find mojo and some pockets of time. We said a sad farewell last night to my brother and his son who were visiting from North Carolina for 2 weeks. We tried to pack in a lot of fun into their time here while taking turns at the hospital and with family who had come in to visit my father-in-law - who has been in the ICU for 3 weeks now. Fun day trips to beaches and boardwalks with the kids, all the while feeling the full impact of our very ill loved one. My brother's departure is usually a sad occasion, but this time it was extra sad. I can't help but wonder what will be different by the time we see him next.
I will not miss you July 2012 - you've been kicking my a$$!


I'll leave today with this simple card. I made it for a Tuesday Trigger a few weeks back but got sidetracked and never got to upload it.  Need to get back on board with the Moxie Fab challenges and get back into a cardmaking groove.

materials: stamp: Stampin Up; sticker sentiment: SRM Stickers; cardstock: Bazzill; patterned paper: Pebbles, Inc.; brad: Making Memories; twine: The Twinery; circle cutting die: Spellbinders

I'll be back on track this week with some projects I made for Pebbles, Inc. & SRM this week. 
I hope you are having a great weekend!

Pebbles, Inc. Mix & Match Mini, etc...

Happy Tuesday everyone!
Are you loving all the CHA photos that are showing up on the web? I am - definitely wishing I was there, though. Cancelling my trip was a tough decision but a necessary one. I've been reminded at least 100 times in the last 24 hours that I made the correct call. Maybe I'll take a wintertime trip to LA. Who's with me?!

Today I get to share a mini album I made for the Pebbles, Inc. blog this week.  I mixed a few lines for this little brag book that documents a recent road trip.
I picked up the 4 x 6 translucent album in a local art supply store a few months back. I knew I'd use it for some scrappy project. I love how the bright colors from the Sunnyside paper really show up nicely through the cover. I used a lot of Sunnyside on the cover:

Once I got inside, I mixed in a lot of Fresh Goods. Here I took apart a dimensional sticker and did some journaling on a lined piece of patterned paper:

For these 2 pages I added my brief journaling right on top of the photos:

Here's my confetti page - threw this into the mix just for fun. I punched confetti from a few different patterns & lines then sewed it into one of the page protectors. I added a couple of shiny sequins to the outside then some big kraft letter stickers on top and sewed them down, too. Brag books are pretty simple but they don't have to be boring :)

Here's another view of the confetti layout:

On this layout, I cut a sentiment from a Hip Hip Hooray paper and added it right to the photo:

Love that yellow chevron paper from Sunnyside:

There are my favorite kraft letter stickers again:

Little brag books like these are great for documenting a trip or event quickly and they make great gifts. You can think of the small 4 x 6 slots as small layouts or just use them for journaling. Or even journal right on the photos. Important thing is to make it fun. 

My days on the Pebbles, Inc. team are limited as I did not make the team for another term. I have one more month of assignments and I'll be done. While I am sad, I'm also somewhat relieved and looking forward to a little creative 'rest'.  I've been feeling very drained and ready to spend some time focusing more on the stories and details - like I should be. I think I've gotten a little 'lost' this past year. Ready to start fresh and focus! I will continue to be a huge fan of Pebbles, Inc. - their new lines are absolutely amazing. They really keep raising the bar for themselves. Being on their team was a dream gig for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Oh, and almost forgot to mention, I'll be starting a new term at The Studio Challenges in August. They were my first design team and I've been with them since 2010. (I like it there, can you tell?) For this term, I'm the official sketch artist. Check out the cool new blinkie Amanda made just for me:

Hope you will play along with us. We've got great sponsors lined up and it's not too late to get in on this month's challenge. A new sketch is up and you could win a gift certificate from Elle's Studio. It's so easy to link up!

Now it's back to the desk for me. Working on my first projects for the Simple Scrapper Design Team and I've got some sketches to make for The Studio.

Wow - that was a long post!

2 more...

rejected Valentine's. I don't feel bad about these being rejected because the very next day, some of  my other projects were picked up for another publication. That's how it goes sometimes and that is ok. I read a great blog post the other day about not getting caught up in the publication/design team competition and it really hit home. It's so easy to loose sight of why we participate in this hobby when you add the stress of making teams and getting published to the mix. Sadly, I am guilty of it to some degree. Something I plan to work on going forward.
Ok, so here are my cards:

I seriously love these Pebbles, Inc. letter stickers. They are big and clean and graphic:

I can't help but feel every time I used white paint or ink splatters that it looks kind of like bird poop. Might be why this card did not make the cut. I like the concept of the big x & o and the little hearts filling the 'o'. Maybe I'll remake it sans splatters:

Materials: patterned paper: Pebbles, Inc., veneer heart, white ink: Studio Calico; sentiments: Basic Grey; heart punch: Stampin' Up; twine: The Twinery

I made the difficult decision last night not to travel to CHA this week. Although I was only going for 2 days, we are still dealing with a very sick loved one. It just didn't feel right to leave, particularly for the family members who might need my support this week. I'm bummed but there will be other CHAs and honestly, I would not have been in the right mind to enjoy the show and make the most of my time there.  On the plus side, my nails are done, my highlights look good and I have a pile of new clothes to wear this week!
If you are going to the show - can't wait to see your photos - have a great week everyone!

Sunday at The Studio

Today at The Studio we've got a sketch challenge. I based this sketch on a page by our own DT member Katherine from a few challenges back - she's a whiz at layering:

I love a sketch challenge - sketches are definitely my go-to when I've got time pressure or not sure where to start. Sometimes relieving yourself of one task (in this case, the layout)  is enough to get the mojo going. I kept my page simple and graphic and did not stray from the sketch:

I used a combo of Studio Calico kit parts, Elle's Studio Summer Lovin' tags and a few other items. I also added a metal button I purchased at the amusement park where this photo was taken. (I love scouring the gift shops at amusement parks to find stuff for my projects - usually buttons, postcards, bumper stickers, park maps, etc.) 

Here's a close up of my title (provided by an Elle's Studio tag) and my journaling tucked into that glassine envelope:

I hope you will stop by and play this week. We've got a great sponsor this month ;)

Up for grabs is a $20 gift certificate for Elle's Studio! Elle's new releases are due out soon (can't wait!) - or you could pick up some Summer Lovin' tags - or anything else from the shop for that matter. So, stop by The Studio - check out our amazing inspiration gallery and link up your project for a chance to win. 

Have a great day!!

The Great Outdoors

Yesterday I had a page up on the SRM Stickers blog featuring their outdoor-themed stickers. Ask anyone that knows me knows me -  I am not the camping type. While I might talk a good game, and think the idea of sleeping outside in tent sounds quaint, if it came right down to it I'd find a way to get out of it. Bugs, bears and other wildlife are definitely a deal breaker for me. So, when the assignment was outdoor-themed - I looked to some photos I had from a trip to the Muir Woods near San Francisco. Places like that make me want to be an outdoorsy girl!

My photo is layered on top of some Amy Tan(Sketchbook), Pebbles, Inc (Sunnyside) and a stamped glassine envelope (the stamp is from Elle's Studio).

The envelope contains my journaling and extra photos. 

I used SRM Stickers all over this page, including the numbers on the date banner:

I even found this tag sticker with a quote by John Muir. (The woods where I saw these gigantic redwood trees is named in honor of John Muir.) Love coincidences like that!

For a complete list of all of the SRM Stickers I used on this page, stop by the blog. While you are there check out the new releases. I just got my box of goodies yesterday and can't wait to dive in!

How can one week be so great and so bad at the same time? My big brother and his son, who I only get to see 2 times a year, are here on their annual summer visit. We've had so much fun with them this week walking boardwalks, having sleepovers and swimming in the pool and we still have another fun week ahead. My kids are thrilled to have their little cousin here They have no idea that at the same time, my husband and I have been taking turns visiting the hospital where a very dear loved one is suffering. It's been a bittersweet, heartbreaking week that seems to get worse daily. I will be so glad to see Sunday even though it might just be the start of another one of these weeks. Prayers, good vibes - whatever you've got - feel free to send them my way:)

Will try to be back tomorrow with a new challenge at The Studio - if I'm not, be sure to play along because Elle's Studio is sponsoring us this month and you don't want to miss that!

Another reject....

I've got more 'Valentine's Day in July' today. Another rejected card to share from the recent project call.  For this first card I used some Pebbles, Inc. patterned papers and punched a bunch of small hearts from a mix of patterns. I used a large chipboard heart to trace the large heart shape then filled it with the small hearts. Then I stitched over the pencil lines. The sentiment is from SRM Stickers.

It's only Tuesday and this week is proving to be quite a challenge. I'll be looking forward to the end of this one and hoping it goes way better than I'm anticipating. Any good vibes, mojo, prayers you could send this way would be much appreciated :)

On a happy note, I'm starting to make my packing list for CHA, which I am really looking forward to. Can't wait to see everyone and all the new crafty goodness coming our way! Are you going? Let me know and I will keep an eye out for you!

Have a good day everyone :)

Road Trip & Valentines

We had a great time on our road trip and yesterday I downloaded the 250+ photos I took (I will go through and delete at least 100 of them). Like I said the other day - while the kids and DH ride, I mess around with the camera. Even though it was almost unbearably hot, and the big camera was like a giant weight around my neck, it was totally worth the effort it took to carry it when I saw my photos. Here's a little gallery of my faves: 

I absolutely love amusement parks at night. The lights on this ferris wheel flashed in a pattern - it was sheer luck that I got one with a symmetrical light pattern (I have about 10 shots with the wheel not so perfectly lit)

You will be seeing this one on a layout in the very near future!

I just love my camera!!!

Now for something completely different: some rejected Valentines I made for a recent project call. So sad. I really liked these 2 cards. The call was for man-friendly cards and I thought they fit the bill with their simple design and wood grain. Can't wait to see the cards that did make it. 

The card above has a Studio Calico wood veneer heart, some Pebbles, . Inc. woodgrain paper (from Fresh Goods) & red letter stickers and an SRM sticker (xo). Below, the 7 Gypsies 'remember this' tag is on top of some more Pebbles, Inc.  A Cosmo Cricket sticker is on the wood veneer heart. The twine is from The Twinery.

Today will be busy then tomorrow back to work after a 5 day mini vacation. Hopefully the heat is going to give us a break sometime soon! I hear from my pals in the Midwest that cooler weather is on it's way. 

Have a great day!

A Simple Scrapper Challenge

Whew, it's hot here! We spent the last 2 days in PA at an amusement park and it was really hot there too. I think I must have drank 10 gallons of water yesterday. But here, in NJ - wow. It's supposed to be over 100 today. That's even too hot to swim but I will try. It's also too hot to work in my scrap space, which is in the highest, hottest part of our house. Even the AC won't be able to keep up with that. Hope my supplies don't melt! Might have to move operations down to the dining room table, like in the good old days!

Today I've got a page to share for the Simple Scrapper challenge for July: to use red, white and blue on a non-4th of July page. Armed with this color scheme prompt and a great sketch from Simple Scrapper, this page came together very quickly. Made with a mix of Pebbles, Inc. Let Freedom Ring collection, SRM & Elle's Studio - here's my page:

materials: patterned paper, candy dots: Pebbles, Inc.; title sticker: SRM; journaling tags: Elle's Studio

**Sketch template from Simple Scrapper's Premium Membership.

That chevron border is the little strip at the edge of the patterned paper that usually gets cut off. I liked it so much I kept it on and used it to make the base of my 8 1/2 x 11 page. I also stitched along the lines of the banner pattern to add some subtle texture to the background. Also on the page is the tag from the flip flops which has been floating around my craft space for a couple of years now. (these are not new flip flops ;)

For my title I used an SRM sticker along with a piece of a tag from Elle's Studio. I made the little flowers by cutting one from a spare photo of the flip flops, then tracing it onto white cardstock. I like how imprecise they are. The navy centers are Pebbles, Inc. Candy Dots.

Here's how to play along: Scrapbook a new page, digital or paper, based on the challenge instructions. Upload the layout to your blog or gallery then link it up at the widget right here by 11.59 p.m. CDT on July 25, 2012. One winner will be selected at random to win a $15 print credit to Persnickety Prings. Good luck - can't wait to see your pages!! 

I am so enjoying my little vacation and hope you have a great weekend. I'll be back tomorrow with a few Valentine's I made for a recent project call. Sadly, it's not their time to go 'to the show' but I can share them here. 

** The Premim Membership at Simple Scrapper provides skills and shortcuts to help you simplify and find more meaning in your memory keeping.

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Road Trip!

Hope you all had a great 4th of July - we kept it low key but have a little road trip planned for the weekend to one of our favorite places - Knoebels Amusement Park in Elysburg, PA. It's our second favorite amusement park after Disney. If you are in the northeastern PA area it's definitely worth a trip. I'm not a big rider of the rides but I do love to bring the 'good camera' and take tons of photos. It's the perfect opportunity to experiment with the settings. I love the movement and colors of the park, especially at sundown when the lights go on and that late day summer sunlight is still in the sky. Here are a few photos from past trips:

Lastly I've got a quick card to share today. Used SRM stickers for the sentiment and those little sunglasses on the tag. The sun was cut with my Silhouette and backed with some Pebbles, Inc.

Hope you have a great day - back soon with a project I made for Simple Scrapper and some other projects fresh off the desk!